Mandatory Credit: Photo by John Alex Maguire/REX/Shutterstock (5736251i)
‘Birth of a New World’ sculpture by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli
‘Birth of a New World’ sculpture by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, Arecibo, Puerto Rico – 14 Jun 2016
Weighing in at over 6,500 tons and towering at 268ft high – double the height of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer – ‘Birth of a New World’ by leading Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, an awe-inspiring modern day colossus, was yesterday presented to the world in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Created as a monument to mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ expedition to the Americas, the sculpture has been three years in production.
Facts and figures about Birth of a New World: 268ft tall, 6,500 tons, 2,500 pieces of bronze and steel manufactured in Russia, 110,000+ man hours to assemble with a process that started in Arecibo, Puerto Rico in December 2013. Bronze cast in 3 different foundries, including the oldest continuously operating foundry in the world which dates from the 18th century and the reign of Catherine the Great. The sculpture has taken more than 25 years from conception to completion